What Can We Learn About Vacuum Cleaners from Vampires?: Far More Than You May Think

Abstract

It is a common trope in horror stories that a vampire cannot simply walk into your house. There is a sort of mystical protection from four walls, a roof, and your habitation that prevents this form of the undead from sneaking into your bedroom and sucking your blood. However, if you invite a vampire into your home, then that vampire has free rein to come and go as he or she pleases. This vampire rule serves as an interesting plot device in supernatural fiction, but it has its root in a collective understanding that our homes are special places that afford us an important and desired level of privacy. Envisioning the home as a designated private space has even been written into the US legal system. It is argued that the special status of the home has come under threat from the introduction of new technologies. If we choose to invite others into our home, we give up that right to privacy. Furthermore, there are a variety of techniques that people use to obtain that invitation. The chief executive officer (CEO) of iRobot, for instance, recently announced that his company has already been invited into the homes of many Americans, through its 900 series of Roomba robotic vacuum cleaners. Purchasing a vacuum cleaner and letting it run around your house does not seem like an invitation but the 900-series Roomba has some special features. However, in the fine print that you are required to sign to use all of the product's functions, you must also agree to give iRobot access to all of the data the Roomba collects, including the maps it generates of your house. In essence, the price of a Roomba is both a wad of cash and an invitation into your home. The CEO recently promised investors that it has been collecting these maps and will be selling them to corporations like Amazon, Google, and Apple. It is reasonably easy to miss the fact that the invitation is part of the cost of the device. The owner's manual for the 900 series mentions nothing about what iRobot does with your personal information or the data it collects in your house or any rights and privileges you may have. Even if you are concerned enough about the issue to inquire into the company's official privacy policy, you are likely to miss it.